1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related generally to an improved data processing system, and in particular to a method and apparatus for tracking vehicles. More particularly, the present invention is directed towards a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for using optics to track vehicles in a parking facility.
2. Description of the Related Art
Contemporary parking facilities, such as parking lots and parking garages, are frequently capable of providing parking spaces for an increasingly large number of vehicles. For example, some multi-story parking garages can accommodate hundreds or even thousands of vehicles. Due to the size of these parking facilities and the number of vehicles located in them, a human user can often encounter great difficulties in attempting to track or locate a particular vehicle.
Currently, some parking facilities track vehicles by manually filling out information regarding the vehicle and/or a parking location for the vehicle on a form, tag, or other record. Other parking facilities hang a tag or car key for a particular vehicle on a hook associated with a designated parking space. However, this method is generally only utilized in smaller parking facilities that accommodate relatively small numbers of vehicles, such as small open air parking lots. In addition, this method requires a human user or attendant to manually identify the parking spot selected for the vehicle and manually fill out the documentation and/or manually hang the car keys for the given vehicle on an appropriate hook or slot. However, the cost of attendants to manually identify or assign a parking location can be cost prohibitive. In addition, in larger parking facilities that accommodate hundreds of vehicles, this method can be impractical due to the large number of parking spaces and vehicles.
Some parking facilities currently employ designated parking to track vehicles. Each driver that wants to park in the parking facility is provided with a designated parking spot. This method can result in confusion and incorrect vehicle information where human users park in an undesignated or incorrect parking spot. In addition, this method can be impractical and result in delays and increased traffic congestion due to the time required to designate or assign a parking space to each vehicle. Likewise, the cost of providing attendants to assign parking spaces and ensure that vehicle drivers park in a correct space can be cost prohibitive.
In parking facilities in which parking spaces are not assigned or manually tracked, a user must attempt to remember where a particular vehicle is parked. If a user forgets where the vehicle is parked, the user may have to visually inspect every vehicle in the parking facility until the user's vehicle is located. This method can be time consuming and frustrating for human users with a poor memory and/or human users who must leave their vehicle parked in a parking facility for an extended period of time, such as a parking garage at an airport.
Finally, the current methods of tracking vehicles do not provide a means to track a location of a vehicle before it enters a designated parking spot and/or after the vehicle leaves the designated parking spot. In other words, a user cannot determine the location of a vehicle when the vehicle is driving on access roads associated with the parking facility unless a user watches the vehicle as the vehicle moves through the parking facility.